Vitalizer Newsletter by Derek Morgen
Read time: 3 minutes, 2 seconds
Today’s Newsletter:
- Workout: V12 Explosive Circuit
- Quote: Kevin Kelly on Choosing the Right Path
- Lessons Learned: Setting Ambitious Goals & Embracing the Journey
- Resource: Endure: Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance by Alex Hutchinson
Workout: V12 Explosive Circuit
Here’s a circuit I recently programmed for a beginner-intermediate client in my body transformation program. They burned about 400 calories in 35 minutes in the first two sessions of it.
It should take anywhere from 30-40 minutes, and it’ll get your heart pumping and support fat loss goals.
V12 Explosive Circuit (4 rounds)
- 10 Burpees
- 20 Body Weight Squats
- 10 Single-Leg Reverse Lunges (each leg)
- 3 Minutes Assault Bike
Quote:
”Whenever you can’t decide which path to take, pick the one that produces change.”
— Kevin Kelly, author of the bestseller book, The Inevitable
Lesson Learned: The Power of Setting Ambitious Goals & Enjoying the Journey
This Sunday, I ran my first marathon in Philadelphia. It was breathtaking, exhausting, and painful, yet glorious, exhilarating, and unforgettable. I finished at 3:22:17 and couldn’t be happier.
Going into the 16-week training block, I hadn’t run further than 13.1 miles. It was the Jersey City Half Marathon, and my time was 1:56:29, an 8:53 pace.
Three months later, signing up for Philly, I was careful with setting a goal. I didn’t want my previous times or the goals I set to hold me back. I pushed myself with a sub-3:30, attempting to shave 53 seconds off that average pace while doubling the mileage.
The 16 weeks flew by, and when the days leading up to the race came, I took a deep reflection.
While I still wanted to destroy the 3:30 mark, I was mindblown by how happy I was with the growth I had gone through over that 16-week period.
Mentally, I’m in the best place I’ve ever been, I’m currently in the best shape of my life, and I pushed myself past the limits I had previously set mentally.
I truly recognized the importance of the term “no pain, no gain.” Your body doesn’t just magically make progress – you have to show it the levels at which you want to work so it can adapt and progress accordingly.
The best part of this journey was the badass people and new friends I made. It made the whole thing worthwhile.
So, whether it’s in your personal or professional life, set ambitious goals. Push yourself to new heights and see what you’re truly capable of.
I’m ecstatic about the time and beating my goal, but not all was lost if I hadn’t hit the 3:30 mark. I’m ALL about crushing goals and doing what you say, but there are wins and growth in the losses you have to look at to keep moving forward.
The lesson: Set goals so high that the results are from the journey, not just the destination.
Resource: Endure: Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance
Endure by Alex Hutchinson is a wildly interesting and motivational read that kept me going through this marathon training block.
It’s an in-depth look at how boundary-pushing athletes hit the wall of pain and effort and still keep going. You’ll learn about the mind-to-body connection that limits the majority of athletes, how to overcome that, and how to push beyond the limits you thought were in place.
Hutchinson looks at all of the complex factors, mentally and physically, that help marathon runners, cyclists, and endurance athletes of all types to keep breaking records and extend human performance.
A great read.
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